1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to hand-operated tools, and more particularly to a tool for extracting an elongated object, especially a nail, tack or staple, that is embedded in the surface of a body, such as a wooden board.
2. Background Information
In construction, more labor means higher cost. A small amount of time saved in pulling each spent nail, tack or staple from various surfaces in a building during a remodeling project can mean significant labor savings when the time savings for all of the craftsmen for the duration of the remodeling project are tallied. In short, a better extraction tool allows talented craftsmen to spend their time on more challenging tasks.
Generally, various tools for helping carpenters and other workers remove spent nails or the like from surfaces are known. Unfortunately, nail heads are often partially or wholly broken off when a molding or other surface is removed during remodeling. There are also many new types of nails and staples being manufactured today. Many of these new types of nails have smooth finishes and are more slender than nails used in previous generations. Pneumatic finishing nails, for example, ordinarily have a very small, thin head. Modem nails and staples also vary widely in length and diameter. They can be difficult to remove without bending or snapping them, or splintering or otherwise damaging the wooden and other surfaces in which they are embedded. Practically speaking, nails, tacks, and staples do not often present themselves in an erect fashion for removal from boards and other surfaces. A significant percentage of nails, tacks, and staples to be removed are smashed against the surface, or otherwise bent and/or broken off.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to consistently pull a variety of nail types, as well as tacks and staples, under varying conditions using currently available tools. Some workers attempt to use conventional pliers or channel locks to pull nails through wooden boards, which often causes portions of the nail to break or shear off. Available tools often work only on nails which present a substantially straight and significant shaft segment for a nail puller tool to grasp. When a carpenter has to straighten nails in order to use a nail pulling tool, time is wasted. When he or she has to carry several tools for nail, tack and staple removal, and pause to select which tool to use to remove each nail, time is wasted. This is particularly inconvenient when the worker is in an awkward position on a ladder or on a roof or in a crawl space, for example. Incorrect nail, tack or staple removal can result in damage to the wooden surface, such as gouges or holes. In addition, worker frustration and the high physical demands of construction-related jobs are decreased somewhat when nails and the like can be more easily removed.
Upholstery tacks are particularly bothersome to remove, particularly for the growing number of laymen who do their own upholstering. The spent upholstery tacks, or staples, are often liberally implanted in various odd directions into the wooden backs, seats, etc. of the furniture to be re-upholstered. Wiring staples are also bothersome to remove. They are installed, often every 16 inches, over electrical wires to hold the wires in place on wall studs. An easy to use tool that can speed the removal of these and other types of tacks and staples can decrease the amount of time that must be spent on the job and reduce the number of small injuries incurred while struggling with stubborn staples, etc.
The present invention is a hand tool for extracting an elongated object that is embedded in the surface of a body, the tool comprising:
a) an elongated, movable first handle member;
b) a corresponding second handle member pivotally attached to the first handle member, the second handle member comprising a first jaw member;
c) a floating head portion pivotally attached to the first and second handle members, the floating head portion comprising a second jaw member and an adjacent curved edge; and
d) a lever bar connected at one end to the second handle member and at an opposite end to the floating head portion; and
wherein the extracting tool generally has an open position for placing the jaw members on opposite sides of the elongated object, and a closed position for grasping and pulling the elongated object; and wherein the second jaw member is engaged against the first jaw member when the tool is in the closed position, and disengaged from the first jaw member when the tool is in the open position.
The tool of the present invention presents a unique advantage in that it can aid in quick, safe, clean removal of a wide variety of nails, tacks, or staples, regardless of the position the nail, staple, or tack is in at the time. Damage to the surface, such as splintering and gouging, is minimized because nails, staples, and tacks are more easily and smoothly removed by pulling them through. Crown moldings, baseboards, shelves, paneling, and other surfaces can thus be preserved and reused. The present device does not require a great deal of force to use, and preliminary nail straightening is virtually eliminated, so physical demands are less. Many small injuries, particularly punctures and bruises on the thumb and forefinger, are avoided. Worker job frustration is decreased because spent nails, tacks, staples, and the like can be removed without trouble. The versatile tool of the present invention can grasp and remove short or long, slender or thick nails, tacks or staples, with smooth or rough finishes. This tool is capable of pulling intact or broken-off nails or tacks with broken or small or nonexistent nail heads, so long as some portion of the shaft is visible above the surface. The tool is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and effective in removing quantities of spent nails, staples, tacks, or other elongated objects.